3560/24
Planning permission for development at a site on lands (c. 0.0745 ha) at 49-51 Pleasants Street (D08 XHF2, DO8 VN22, DO8 EF24), Pleasants House (D08 F54N) & 5 Pleasants Lane (D08 HY62), Dublin 8. The development will consist of: A) The demolition of the existing buildings on site (973.4 sq. m) and the construction of a 6-no. storey (over-basement) tourist hostel (overall height c. 19.65m with a plant enclosure screen above to 21.125m) above ground level to parapet along with setback at fifth floor level (with a gross floor area proposed of c. 3,970 sq. m; B) Provision of a reception area (with pedestrian access from Pleasants Street) with ancillary café/bar/restaurant/co-working use (c. 227 sq.m) and kitchen/group dining space (c. 21sq. m) at ground floor level, and other ancillary amenities including a cinema, guest laundry room, plant rooms, storage rooms, and staff facilities at basement level; (with a gym for guest use is located at first floor level); C) Provision of 85 no. guest rooms in a mixture of accessible, twin, family, 4 no., 6 no., 8 no., 10 no., and 12 no. person bedrooms across the upper 5 no. floors; and D) Provision of dedicated, secure cycle parking storage (20 no. spaces), refuse storage, switch room, ESB substation, utilities located to the rear of the ground floor layout, with green/blue roof/PV panels at roof level and all associated works to facilitate the development.
Core Refusal Reason
The Inspector recommended granting permission, concluding that the development is consistent with the Z4 zoning objective, provides a distinct type of tourist accommodation that does not result in overconcentration, and appropriately transitions in scale between the commercial activity of Camden Street and the residential conservation areas to the west.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The applicant's revised proposal to reduce bedspaces from 553 to 267 effectively halves the capacity, successfully addressing concerns regarding over-intensification of use and noise disturbance in a transitional zone.
- The proposed six-storey building height is consistent with the urban core default and the existing permission on the site, representing a well-designed contemporary response that fits the character of the area without impacting heritage assets.
- The Planning Authority failed to provide a quantitative assessment or evidence base for overconcentration, whereas the applicant demonstrated a lack of publicly available Fáilte Ireland approved hostels in the immediate vicinity.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Decision Document Summary
The application seeks permission for the demolition of existing vacant commercial and residential buildings to construct a six-storey tourist hostel at 49-51 Pleasants Street, Dublin 8. The site is located in a 'transitional zone' between the commercial Camden Street area (Zoned Z4) and residential conservation areas (Zoned Z2). Dublin City Council initially refused permission based on the potential for overconcentration of tourist accommodation and negative impacts on residential amenity from n...PDF Document Missing
The original decision document for this case could not be linked. This often happens for older cases or those with restricted documentation.
Search for case on ABP